Celebrating A New Arrival

First of all, let me start by saying that I have amazing friends. My friends are talented, kind, helpful and sure know how to have fun. So when a bunch of us got together to throw a surprise baby shower for a trendy 'Mommy-To-Be'...it was fun! 

Party Details:
Mouth watering appetizers made by our very own super cooks and mocktails served by the father-to-be set the stage for a fun afternoon. Our nursery themed cake was inspired by this cake. We got a basic sheet cake from Publix. The little keepsake cradle and nursery accessories were from Hobby Lobby. Nursery walls were made out of cardboard and bright green curtains were ribbons.The amazing diaper cake was made by my talented friend D and here is the link to get some more pictures of this stunning creation. Check out the favors with a sleeping baby on top, how cute are those salt and pepper shakers!

Food:                                                                                    

• Chicken malai kabab
• Garlic mushroom
• Hara Bhara kabab
• Bread rolls
• Samosas
• Grilled asparagus
• Chips with mango peach salsa

  Desserts:

•   Madeleines
•   White chocolate cream cheese tart
•   Vanilla, chocolate cake with strawberries

Drinks: Non alcoholic mixers from World Market with fruits juices

• Simple Cosmo mixer with club soda
• Margarita mixer with lemonade
• Sparkling pear juice 
• Sparkling Meyer lemon juice.

 Some more pictures:

Toddler Lunch 18

Today's Daycare Lunch Bag:

Snack #1: Cut up peach, plum and raspberries with cheese stick.

Snack # 2: Pistachio crisp, dried apricot and raisins.

Lunch: Crispy cutlets made with sweet potato, peas, sour cream, spices and breadcrumbs. Ketchup as dipping sauce.

(Note: restaurant review with food pics coming soon !)

Asparagus and Fennel Soup

Cold weekends call for steaming bowl of creamy soup and a toasty sandwich to warm the insides. This asparagus and fennel soup will not let you down. It is super simple and delish!

Picture coming soon

Asparagus and Fennel Warm Soup

1 bunch of Asparagus
1 big bulb of Fennel
1 cup of  spinach leaves
10 whole peppercorn
2-3 cloves of garlic
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
6 cups of vegetable/chicken stock.
1/2 pack ( 4 ounces) cream cheese regular or fat free.
Salt

Method:

1. Trim the the woody stems of the asparagus and cut into 1 inch long pieces. Chop the fennel bulb ( it smells heavenly!). 
2. In a small stock pot, heat olive oil, peppercorn, garlic, bay leaves. Add spinach, asparagus and fennel. Saute until the fennel is soft.
3. Add stock and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes until the asparagus is soft. Discard bay leaves
4. Shut the heat and using a hand blender, blend right into the pot to get a smooth puree. Be careful while blending hot liquids.
5. Heat the puree on low and add small chunks of cream cheese. Cream cheese will melt to give a minty green colored smooth soup. Adjust seasoning. Add pepper powder if you like some heat. Enjoy with mozzarella, basil and tomato toasted sandwich.

Toddler Lunch 17

Today's Daycare Lunch bag:

Snack # 1 Cut up  juicy pear and yummy raspberries.

Snack #2: Couple madeleines and dried cranberries. Madelines are little french cookie & cake combo that is simply delish. Definitely not a healthy snack but its ok once in a while! I got these Madelines from Costco. Yummy

Lunch: Quesadilla ( Chapatti) stuffed with ricotta and a mixture of sauted spices, spring onions, spinach and red bell pepper. I drizzled some honey. This makes the quesadilla stick together and also makes it more tasty for a toddler.  For adults, skip the honey and add some fried onions instead...yum